MONTREAL – Almost everyone was ready to call Devils winger Ryane Clowe a bust, a $24.25 million write-off.

But as the Devils fight to stay in the playoff hunt through the dog days of January, Clowe has stepped forward as one of the keys during a stretch in which they have captured six of a possible eight points.

After Clowe scored his first goal for the Devils and assisted on Adam Henrique’s power play goal in Toronto Sunday night, coach Pete DeBoer went as far as saying the Clowe-Henrique-Michael Ryder line is carrying the Devils. DeBoer added: “We need our big line to chip in.”

“Getting him back has been huge,” Henrique said of Clowe. “He comes in and brings a physical presence. He’s hard on the forecheck and he’s out there creating space for me and Ryds. He’s smart offensively. It’s nice to see him get the first one, especially coming off the injury. He’s been playing awesome.”

Clowe, of course, missed 32 games with a concussion when he was elbowed in the head by Winnipeg’s Jacob Trouba on Oct. 13. Considering his concussion history, there were some doubts about whether he could ever again truly be an effective NHL player.

With points in four straight games and a willingness to play physical, the doubts have faded.

“I feel I’m progressing the right way. I feel I’m probably at the top of my game the last little while,” Clowe said. “Getting back into it is nice, getting back into that groove. I’m definitely just playing now. At the start of the year when you come to a new team you overthink it a bit. I’m making the plays I know I can make. I just have to keep it going.”

The 31-year-old Newfoundland native admits he felt pressure after signing the contract and he started slowly in the six games before getting hurt.

“I think I was overthinking the first five or six games,” he suggested. “You come to new systems, a new style and a new coach and you’re trying to execute everything as perfect as they lay it out. I just realized I have to play my game. I have to hold onto the puck. That’s what I’ve been doing, just holding onto it, having some poise and making plays. You know what? I’m probably going to set up more chances than I get, but I think I’ll get my opportunities. On the power play I think I’ve been okay.”

Henrique sees the change.

“He only played five or six games at the start and was injured,” the center said. “It always takes time to come back. I think he’s finding his groove. You can tell he has more and more confidence with the puck out there.”

There has been true chemistry on the line in which Henrique centers for two Newfies.

“Adam talks a lot on the ice and sorts it out,” Clowe said. “It’s easy to play defense when you have a lot of communication. Sometimes you don’t see from up top how important communication is. We’re very verbal. Like I’ve said before, I think one of the better young players in the league is (San Jose’s) Logan Couture and Rico plays a lot like him. He’s also in that category. They have similar styles. He creates a lot through the middle. He’s around the puck a lot. I love playing with guys that are always around the puck and he’s one of those guys.”

Henrique signed his own big contract last summer for $24 million over six years. For the most part, people were patient in waiting for him to emerge from a scoring slump.

Clowe has had to do a lot more convincing that the Devils did the right thing in signing him, but he’s beginning to do just that.